Sorry if I have now put the famous Australian soap opera theme tune into your head, but I couldn’t resist! This is just a little message to say thank you to my wonderful neighbours, Gail and Charles Wilkinson and their daughter Mollie, for all the support and friendship they continue to give to me, my husband and daughter. I like to show appreciation for people and things, and often I do not know quite how to show it properly. Well, I am a writer, I have a platform, I might as well use it!
I love my neighbours. They are supportive, helpful, and always there if we need them. It is great to know that I have back-up babysitters at short notice, and of course, that me and my husband can offer the same favour if needed. Our families do not live close enough for frequent visits, although they are only a short car journey away. In the 21st century we seem to have lost a lot of the community spirit that was so well documented throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Back in those days people didn’t move away from home very often, or if they did, it was only by a few streets at most. Communities revolved around family units, where parents, grandparents, children, aunts, uncles and cousins could see each other frequently.
Our family units have changed now. We rely more on friends, and often we make those friends when we move into new towns and cities. It was the same for me and my husband. We moved into our town about 7 years ago, and we didn’t know anybody here. It is a commuter town, ideally placed next to the M6 motorway, with transport links to Chester, Manchester, Liverpool and Stoke-on-Trent. That was the reason for our move. Both my husband and I were working full time jobs in Manchester, but we couldn’t afford to buy a house in the city, at least not in a place where we felt comfortable. So we moved out to a small rural canal town, and we love it here!
Anyway, I digress. We have developed a wonderful relationship with our next door neighbours, and for that I am eternally grateful and appreciative. We are also fortunate to be friendly with other neighbours on our street, although not as personally close to them. We live in a nice, quiet, friendly neighbourhood. It is a great place to raise our children, and I look forward to many more happy years ahead. Thank you, Gail and Charles!
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Good neighbours are indeed a golden gift! I live in a very rural location and have recently retired. I have only now realized that I have lived FROM this location rather than IN it , for I know noone, although I have been here for over 30 years. I have never met my next door neighbour! I left for work at 7 am and very often was not hoem again until aftre 8 pm. Not being a ‘native’ meant I had no family link in to the place. How lucky you are, and how lucky are Gail and Charles to have you as a neighbour too! Lovely post !
Thank you and yes, we are very lucky indeed to have each other! It did take us a while at first, because in the beginning all four adults were working full-time commuter jobs. Our circumstances changed, and now we have a lot more time for each other which is fabulous. It’s funny how work can also dictate your social interactions…